1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to magazines for handling film cartridges in photographic applications, and more specifically to such magazines for receiving, and later dispensing the cartridges in a desired order.
2. Description of Related Art
In a typical photofinishing operation, film rolls are accumulated, sorted and removed from their containing cartridges for processing. The cartridges are cracked open to release the film, and discarded at a very early stage in the operation. During their short life the cartridges are handled in bins, totes and conveyers for isolating batches of film according to the required processing parameters.
Although the film cartridges often do not last long in a processing facility, cartridge magazines have been employed to facilitate their handling. Gudmundson et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,032,707, issued Jul. 16, 1991, discloses one example that includes a magazine for maintaining sorted film in transportable batches. Their magazine is a rectangular tube open at both ends for receiving film cartridges at one end and dispensing the cartridges in the same sequence from the other end.
Photographic processes have been proposed in which the film is retained in its cartridge throughout the processing operation, or is returned to a similar cartridge after film processing. The cartridges typically are handled by conveyers, or in magazines. One approach is presented in Takahashi et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,439, issued Jul. 27, 1993. Takahashi et al. use rectangular tubes, including escape mechanisms, for containing and dispensing the film cartridges. Another approach is disclosed in Tianello et al. U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/172,013, entitled Film Cartridge Magazine, filed on Dec. 22, 1993. Tianello et al. use a plurality of cartridge pockets or sleeves arranged in a ring around a hub. Film cartridges are loaded into the pockets in a desired sequential order, and can be dispensed from the pockets, one at a time, in the same or reverse sequential order.